Mashed: Mashed potatoe ideas, comments please
Subject: Mashed potatoe ideas, comments please
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Adam Schwartz (swordams at NOSPAMmchsi.com)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 18:46:18 GMT
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In a previous post I stated that my soon-to-be father in law wanted plain mashed potatoes for thanksgiving. My faince has sinced talked with her father, and she told me he was actually looking forward to trying more exciting foods at thanksgiving this year, but he still wanted some sort of mashed potato. Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed potato recipe. What I need is for someone to tell me which ideas sound good and which they probably wouldn't eat. Hopefully I'll have the time and money to make a test recipe or two before Thanksgiving but forst I'd like to narrow down my ideas and discard the bad ones. I haven't yet contemplated to actual recipes, I'm just imagining flavor combinations. Here are the basic concepts I'm considering:
-truffle gravy
-mushroom gravy
-potatoes mashed with extra creamy butter and safron
-including a grated aged cheese
-using various varieties of potato
-using butttermilk instead of milk
-replacing milk with a soft cheese thats been thinned in cream/milk
-herbs including chervil, taragon, parley, thyme, etc.
-serving with various butters on the side, containing herb, cheese or a combination
-whipping the potatoes
I also would like to know which combinations of ideas sound good, i.e. truffle gravy with saffron potatoes, herbed potatoes made with butermilk, cheese potatoes with herb buter etc.
Any other ideas are more than extremely very welcome. Criticism is also very welcome, because I'd rather get boos from the newsgroup than my future father-in-law.
Thanks everyone,
Adan
From: Jack Schidt (jack.schidt at snet.net)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 18:51:34 GMT
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I dunno, Adam, for me, mashed potatoes are at their best when mashed with a hand masher, mixed with cream, butter, salt, pepper, and a little roasted garlic. Call me square, but I don't think they're any more exciting than this. Topped with an artery-scratching turkey gravy and they could be a meal by themselves.
Jack Spuddo
From: The Ranger (cuhulain__98 at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 12:18:12 -0800
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Jack Square (you requested it!) answered Adam Schwartz's request:
> I dunno, Adam, for me, mashed potatoes are at their best
> when mashed with a hand masher, mixed with cream, butter,
> salt, pepper, and a little roasted garlic. Call me square, but
> I don't think they're any more exciting than this. Topped
> with an artery-scratching turkey gravy and they could be a
> meal by themselves.
We use sautéed onions instead of roasted garlic but I actually like the idea of aged cheese as a side topping...
One other thought; try Yukons in place of the standard Idahoes.
From: Rhonda Anderson (schumacher11 at bigpond.com)
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 09:46:37 GMT
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The Ranger wrote:
> We use sautéed onions instead of roasted garlic but I actually like
> the idea of aged cheese as a side topping...
My mother used to add a little grated cheddar and nutmeg to mashed potatoes
Very nice.
From: The Ranger (cuhulain__98 at yahoo.com)
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 19:45:51 -0800
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Rhonda Anderson wrote:
> My mother used to add a little grated cheddar and nutmeg to
> mashed potatoes. Very nice.
My Father-unit made twice-baked potatoes regularly and would substitute different cheeses and vegetables, herbs and spices as he liked. One night he added a stilton and cracked pepper, trying to keep it simple but different. Somehow nutmeg got dusted across the tops. It was a grand success. Ah... The comfort foods of Youth.
From: niteowllie at webtv.net
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 15:15:54 -0700 (MST)
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Boil potatoes with some grated carrots & chopped onion. When mashing, use sour cream instead of milk. This is really good. Ollie
From: jarkat2002 at aol.come.on (Jarkat2002)
Date: 14 Nov 2002 19:04:50 GMT
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
>Any other ideas are more than extremely very welcome. Criticism is also
>very welcome, because I'd rather get boos from the newsgroup than my future
>father-in-law.
I'm a mashed potato purest lol
Potatoes, milk, butter and salt & pepper for me.
But ... when I do want to be a bit more adventurous ... I like some fresh thyme. It doesn't add an overpowering flavor ... but has a nice flavor.
I'll also boil my potatoes w/ an onion or 2 but toss the onion before the mashing when I'm in the mood.
~Kat
From: spacytracy07 at webtv.net (spacytracy)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 13:09:51 -0600 (CST)
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
>Criticism is also very welcome
I would never, ever criticize the former vice president Dan Quayle, he got enough of it when he was in office.
From: Tracy R. (ravinwulf2 at netscape.net)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 13:14:47 -0600
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
> In a previous post I stated that my soon-to-be father in law wanted
>plain mashed potatoes for thanksgiving. My faince has sinced talked with
>her father, and she told me he was actually looking forward to trying more
>exciting foods at thanksgiving this year, but he still wanted some sort of
>mashed potato. Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed
>potato recipe. <snip>
Our family really enjoys basic mashed potatoes (made with s&p, butter and either cream/milk/buttermilk/sour cream, depending on what I have handy) with a sprinkle or two or three of granulated garlic added. It's a little different from the usual, without being overly threatening to someone who likes "familiar" foods. They're *very* good, and go nicely with gravy.
From: Dawn (d.duperault at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 17:01:14 -0600
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
> In a previous post I stated that my soon-to-be father in law wanted
>plain mashed potatoes for thanksgiving. My faince has sinced talked with
>her father, and she told me he was actually looking forward to trying more
>exciting foods at thanksgiving this year, but he still wanted some sort of
>mashed potato. Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed
>potato recipe. <snip>
Try a pot full of small red Maine potatoes or baby Yukon golds with the skin on. Quarter them if you need them to cook faster. These small potatoes have tender, tasty nutritious skins that will add flavor, color and texture to the dish.
I mash mine lightly, so there are still lumps, with some butter and sour cream. How much? For two cups of smashed potatoes I use about 2 tb of butter and 1/3 cup sour cream. Add 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp of parsley. The mix should be soft but not liquidy, and look like mashed potato and not cream gravy.
I let individual diners add their own salt and pepper at the table.
From: bigricky60 at hotmail.com (Ricky)
Date: 15 Nov 2002 20:11:08 -0800
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Dawn wrote:
>These small
> potatoes have tender, tasty nutritious skins that will add flavor, color
> and texture to the dish.
Bleh. I hate skins in my mashed potatoes. It's like eating garbage.
> I let individual diners add their own salt and pepper at the table.
Not seasoning your food, even lightly, before service is a travesty!
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 08:38:09 -0700
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Ricky wrote:
> Not seasoning your food, even lightly, before service is a travesty!
Why? If I have guests who I know will thickly salt and pepper food without tasting first, why fuss more in the kitchen? They cannot taste anything other than the salt/pepper anyway.
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 20:53:35 GMT
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Arri London wrote:
> Why? If I have guests who I know will thickly salt and
> pepper food without tasting first, why fuss more in the
> kitchen? They cannot taste anything other than the
> salt/pepper anyway.
Some foods can be seasoned at the table just fine, but others are better when the seasonings are mixed in during cooking - meatloaf and mashed potatoes are two such items. That's why. My goal is to season so that no one finds the food over-seasoned, and most people find it OK. THose who want more can add it at the table.
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 17:25:10 -0700
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Peter Aitken wrote:
> Some foods can be seasoned at the table just fine, but others are better
> when the seasonings are mixed in during cooking - meatloaf and mashed
> potatoes are two such items. That's why. My goal is to season so that no one
> finds the food over-seasoned, and most people find it OK. THose who want
> more can add it at the table.
But that is my point... people who coat their food at table in salt or other seasonings without tasting are hardly going to notice any seasoning I put in before or during cooking. That's why I don't bother when those people are coming to eat.
From: Judith Umbria (JudithG at nospam.indiatimes.com)
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 06:52:28 GMT
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Arri London wrote:
> But that is my point... people who coat their food at table
> in salt or other seasonings without tasting are hardly going
> to notice any seasoning I put in before or during cooking.
> That's why I don't bother when those people are coming to
> eat.
We do not feed those people, Arri. Also don't feed people who put ketchup pn everything. It is like casting pearls before swine.
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 08:49:03 -0700
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Judith Umbria wrote:
> We do not feed those people, Arri. Also don't feed people who put ketchup
> pn everything. It is like casting pearls before swine.
LOL! True enough!! But they have their other redeeming qualities, so I don't mind from time to time. When I eat at their places, I just have a substantial snack before I leave my home.
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at mail.monmouth.com)
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 11:13:01 -0500
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Judith Umbria wrote:
> We do not feed those people, Arri. Also don't feed people who put ketchup
> pn everything. It is like casting pearls before swine.
Yesterday I saw some show on FoodTV, the guy filled up his plate with the usual Thanksgiving dinner and instead of reaching for
the gravy, grabbed a bottle of ketchup. I just can't see how ketchup would enhance turkey and stuffing.
From: gloria p (puester at worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 17:55:48 GMT
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Nancy Young wrote:
> Yesterday I saw some show on FoodTV, the guy filled up his plate
> with the usual Thanksgiving dinner and instead of reaching for
> the gravy, grabbed a bottle of ketchup. I just can't see how
> ketchup would enhance turkey and stuffing.
Ooooohh, you are in trouble when Stan gets online!
From: Faux_Pseudo (Faux_Pseudo at yahoo.comERCIAL)
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 20:33:40 GMT
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Judith Umbria spoke:
> We do not feed those people, Arri. Also don't feed people who put ketchup
> pn everything. It is like casting pearls before swine.
Thank you for saying that so that I did not have to.
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 17:00:58 -0700
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Faux_Pseudo wrote:
> Thank you for saying that so that I did not have to.
LOL! Yes, but even swine need to be fed!
From: bigricky60 at hotmail.com (Ricky)
Date: 16 Nov 2002 18:41:34 -0800
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Arri London wrote:
> Why? If I have guests who I know will thickly salt and
> pepper food without tasting first, why fuss more in the
> kitchen? They cannot taste anything other than the
> salt/pepper anyway.
Obviously you need different friends-- with taste!
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 08:58:10 -0700
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Ricky wrote:
> Obviously you need different friends-- with taste!
ROTFL! Did anyone say those were the only friends I have? I cook for **all** my friends, no matter what trash they like to eat at home.
From: blake murphy (blakem at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 12:34:15 -0500
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Ricky wrote:
>Obviously you need different friends-- with taste!
on the other hand, you might view it as giving them an opportunity to have some food that actually tastes good on it own - but if they still want to over-salt it, well, you tried.
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 10:51:41 -0700
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blake murphy wrote:
> on the other hand, you might view it as giving them an opportunity to
> have some food that actually tastes good on it own - but if they still
> want to over-salt it, well, you tried.
LOL! The dining relationships always start out that way obviously. However, it soon becomes apparent who has a
working palate and who does not.
From: Tracy R. (ravinwulf2 at netscape.net)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 13:28:10 -0600
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
> Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed
>potato recipe.
Here are a couple of specific recipes that I started thinking about after I made the first post suggesting garlic. BTW, roasted garlic is a really nice addition to mashed potatoes too, if a bit more time consuming than the granulated ~ but hey, it's thanksgiving, it's a special meal. =)
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes With Caramelized Shallots
vegetables, gourmet magazine
12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes; peeled and quartered
2 medium shallots; thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup well-shaken low-fat buttermilk
Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a saucepan and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
While potatoes are simmering, cook shallots in butter in a small nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened and deep golden, about 8 minutes.
Drain potatoes, return to pot, and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Stir shallots into potatoes with buttermilk and salt and pepper to taste.
Contributor: Gourmet, January 2001
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 00:35
_______
Creamy Chive Mashed Potatoes
5 medium potatoes; peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt; divided
4 ounces cream cheese; softened
2 tablespoons butter or margarine; softened
2 tablespoons chives; snipped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup buttermilk; to 1/2 cup
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water; add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes until smooth. Add cream cheese, butter, chives, pepper and remaining salt; gradually beat in the buttermilk.
Contributor: Bonnie Thompson, Rathdrum, ID ~ Taste of Home
Yield: 4 servings
_______
Garlic-Gruyere Mashed Potatoes
6 medium russet potatoes
3/5 cup hot whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chives; chopped
1/4 cup butter; softened
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 clove garlic; minced
1/4 cup gruyere cheese; grated
2 medium scallions; chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Peel the potatoes and cut up. Cook in boiling water til tender. Drain.
Mash the potatoes and stir in the milk, butter, sour cream and the rest of the ingredients. Serve at once.
From: Heidi Pilewski (hbp at sei.cmu.edu)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 15:35:42 -0500
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
> Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed
>potato recipe.
I like the traditional mashed potatoes (milk/butter, salt & a little pepper)(especially with creamy chicken or pork gravy) but I also fixed lumpy mashed red potatoes mixed with sour cream and green onion a few years ago for Thanksgiving. (My father prefers Potato Buds and I just couldn't face that again.) :-)
From: Brian Connors (connorbd at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 20:46:16 GMT
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
> Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed
>potato recipe.
Sour cream, butter, a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, and milk as necessary to thin it out. And leave the skins on.
From: pattee at spot.colorado.edu (Donna Pattee)
Date: 14 Nov 2002 21:19:19 GMT
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Adam Schwartz wrote:
> Cosequently I'm brainstorming ideas for an intrestig mashed
>potato recipe.
A local Caribbean restaurant makes mashed potatoes with manchego cheese. I have no idea what this has to do with the Caribbean, but the potatoes are really good. I just saw a recipe for them, and it's basically plain mashed potatoes with some extra milk or cream and then lots of manchego cheese. I can't imagine that any but the very pickiest eaters would objec to the flavor.
From: robertpalmer at webtv.net
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 15:57:44 -0600 (CST)
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Here's a couple.
Fried Mashed Potatoes
Make your standard mashed potatoes, milk, butter, salt, pepper. If you are making a batch containing, say, five potatoes, cut one up and fry it till it is nice and crisp. When mashing time comes, toss in the fried potatoe and mash away. I've made these with garlic, as well. They are really good.
The second is, instead of boiling onions with the potatoes, caremalize as many as you think you need and mash them in with the potatoes. Both of these techniques give an off color to the potatoes, but I'll sacrifice beauty for flavor any day. Besides, you can hide them under gravy.
From: Damsel in dis Dress
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 21:48:49 GMT
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Here's a recipe that's always a hit. It includes a couple of the suggestions that you made (added cheese, and thyme), but also includes prosciutto and garlic. Wonderful stuff!
Parmesan-Prosciutto Mashed Potatoes
Recipe By: Damsel in dis Dress
Serving Size: 8
Preparation Time: 0:45
Categories: potatoes, side dishes
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes -- peeled and cubed
3 cloves garlic -- peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces prosciutto -- thinly sliced, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup skim milk -- or more if needed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1. Cook potatoes and garlic in large pot of boiling water until potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return potatoes and garlic to same pot.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped prosciutto and thyme and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add prosciutto mixture and 3/4 cup milk to potatoes and garlic. Mash well, adding more milk by tablespoonfuls if potatoes are dry. Mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over low heat to rewarm, adding more milk by tablespoonfuls, if desired.) Transfer potatoes to bowl. Sprinkle lightly with 2 tablespoons cheese; serve.
Cuisine: Italian
Source: Adapted from Bon Appétit
Yield: 4 cups
From: kswck (kswck at optonline.net)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 22:21:02 GMT
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Mashed potatoes by hand; add to: roasted garlic, butter, milk, salt and pepper and some chopped dill. Garnish with same. Makes a good appearance as well. Finely diced red onion if desired, as well.
From: Rodney Myrvaagnes (rodneym at attglobal.net)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 19:01:10 -0500
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I'll tell you one I did for a TG a few years ago. I used russets, about half pound each. I scrubbed them and baked them. Since I was using the oven anyway I roasted a head of garlic for each. That was 7 lbs of potatoes and 14 heads of garlic.
I scooped the flesh out of the cooked potatoes and squeezed the garlic pulp. Mashed them together. Then I took a small amount of th emashed potato, and chopped in a habanero with a blender.
I then mixed a tiny part of the "hot" potato into the rest. I overdid it, as the heat built up as the potatoes went to the table.
I would do the same but with perhaps chopped chipotles, or a fresh jalapeno now.
It might be good to put the pepper in only half the batch, so people who don't want the heat have a choice.
The potato skins can be stuffed separately.